Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

Middle English fantasie, fantsy, from Old French fantasie, from Latin phantasia, from Greek phantasiā, appearance, imagination, from phantazesthai, to appear, from phantos, visible, from phainesthai, to appear; see bhā-1 in Indo-European roots.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Old French fantasie ("fantasy"), from Latin phantasia ("imagination"), from Ancient Greek φαντασία (phantasia, "apparition"), from φαντάζω (phantazō, "to show at the eye or the mind"), from φαίνω (phainō, "to show in light"), from the same root as ϕῶς (phôs, "light").

Examples

The desire for authenticity * is* a Modernist element, so saying it's not found in fantasy, that fantasy is a Romantic form is simply to narrow the definition of "fantasy" to include Romantic works and techniques but exclude Modernist techniqes.

CHERITH (at left): I think the Harry Potter books have created a greater interest in fantasy literature in the present day, but I think the need for fantasy is something very deeply rooted in the human mind, not just for children.

The "Shit Blows Up" fun of Jack's rampaging could even be quite validly deemed escapist; it's just that I try to subvert the consolation subtly within the episodes or through their relationships with the rest of the text, to seduce the reader into engaging with reality even when the fantasy is at its most sensationalist.

Cries that we're "Surrendering to terrorism" if this fantasy is at all perturbed, is Neo-Con propaganda designed to shame and shut up Conservatives (because we know nothing at all will shame Leftists to get on the Bus).